Chapter 2

The next morning, a sharp pain from my wolf core jolted me awake.

I leaned against the headboard for a long time before I could finally force myself to stand.

As I walked downstairs, I heard Lyra's laughter coming from the living room.

She was sitting on Selene's lap, eagerly flipping through a storybook about the princesses of the Moon Forest.

"Mommy Selene, look! Her silver hair is so pretty!"

"When you grow up, you'll be a beautiful little princess, too."

Selene lowered her head and kissed her forehead.

I stood at the top of the stairs, my steps slowing involuntarily.

The moment Lyra noticed me, the smile vanished from her face.

"Good morning," I greeted her first.

She mumbled a response before taking Selene's hand.

"Let's go see the little deer in the backyard. Okay?"

Selene didn't get up right away. Instead, she deliberately glanced at me.

"Shouldn't you spend a little time talking to your mother first?"

"No need." Lyra hugged her tighter. "She's always busy. I want to play with you."

I didn't blame her.

Over the years, I really had spent too much time managing the art gallery and the family business. Whenever I tried to make up for the time I'd missed with my daughter, Darius and Selene always found a way to make me look like the person ruining everyone's mood.

"Go ahead." I forced a smile. "Just don't wander too deep into the woods."

As I watched them leave, I reached for the stair railing to steady myself.

Medication could suppress the physical pain, but nothing could cure the fact that my daughter was slowly drifting away from me.

In the dining room, Darius was reviewing the morning briefing on the pack's business operations.

I sat across from him and slid a document toward him.

"I want to revise our mate property agreement."

He glanced at the first page, and his expression immediately changed.

"You're giving up all your inheritance rights from the Mooncrest family?"

"Yes."

"Your personal trust, too?"

"That as well."

Darius put the document down and stared at me.

"Elara, what exactly are you trying to do?"

I picked up my glass and took a slow sip of water.

"If anything happens to me, all the assets under my name will go to you. My private art collection will be transferred to Selene."

"Even the moonstone collection your grandmother left you?"

"She enjoys collecting things, and she has more time to look after them than I do."

Darius's expression darkened.

"You wouldn't suddenly give everything away without a reason."

I looked at him, suddenly finding the man sitting before me frighteningly unfamiliar.

"The hotel security logs, the footage of the two of you entering and leaving private residences together, and the way Selene addresses Lyra. Do you really think I know nothing?"

He said nothing.

I continued, "I used to think that if I just explained things clearly enough, you'd stand by me. But eventually, I realized you weren't unaware of how badly I'd been treated. You simply didn't want to offend her for my sake."

"Elara, things aren't what you think."

"Then what are they?"

I didn't give him a chance to answer.

"You like her gentleness. You like how she never argues with you. You like being the center of her entire world. I don't blame you. Maybe I was never the right mate for you in the first place."

Darius's brows drew tighter.

"Don't start this now."

"I'm going to the pack headquarters this afternoon to complete the share transfer. The portion of Mooncrest Holdings that belongs to me will also be handed over to Selene."

He shot to his feet.

"Do you have any idea how much those shares are worth? More than 1.6 billion dollars!"

"I know."

"You're handing her an entire business empire. Aren't you afraid she'll ruin it?"

I turned to look out the window.

In the garden, Selene was holding Lyra's hand, gently fixing the little girl's hair after the wind had blown it out of place.

"If she can make all of you happy, that's enough for me."